Calling all cat lovers: SLO County’s first-ever cat cafe is open for business
Central Coast cat and coffee lovers, wait no longer: the purr-fect place to enjoy both opened in San Luis Obispo County last weekend.
After passing its final health inspection Friday, the Caffeinated Cat Cafe hosted its grand opening in Grover Beach on Saturday, owner Jaime Pierce announced on Instagram.
True to its name, visitors to the unique cafe will be able to sip coffee and eat freshly baked goods among a litter of cute, adoptable kittens from local shelters.
“There’s really not a lot of places that you can just go and just sit back and relax, and then to have a cat that jumps on your lap — it just makes it even better,” Pierce told The Tribune.
Over a year in the making, the community has shown strong support for Pierce as she worked hard to launch her small business and share her love of cats with SLO County. Now, it is finally here.
Here’s how you can visit the new Caffeinated Cat Café in Grover Beach.
How to visit the Caffeinated Cat Cafe
The cafe’s grand opening was at noon on Saturday, following the Grover Beach Holiday Parade, and lasted until 6 p.m. The business has since moved to its regular operating hours.
When visitors first enter the cafe — located at 1601 West Grand Ave., Suite A — they will have the option to order self-serve, customized coffee and hot drinks, locally baked pastries and other snacks, Pierce said.
Visitors can choose to browse the gift shop and enjoy their food and beverages in the common area, or bring their tasty treats with them into the main event: the cat lounge.
For an additional price, each visitor will get just short of an hour inside the cafe’s separate lounge enclosure with nine cute cats and kittens.
Pricing for a 50-minute session in the cat lounge will start at $15 per child ages 2 to 12 years old and $18 per person age 13 or older, according to the cafe’s website. Express visits will also be offered based on availability, with walk-ins costing $13 for 25 minutes.
This fee will go toward the care of the cats and maintenance of the space, covering everything from litter to toys to cozy beds and other needed supplies to keep the animals safe and happy, Pierce said.
But if that’s not enough time with your new furry friends, don’t worry — you can also take one home with you. All the cats on site will be up for adoption.
The business partnered with the Cal Poly Cat Program and the Feline Network of the Central Coast to foster their adoptable animals, Pierce said.
Those interested in adoption will fill out an application to be reviewed by Pierce and shelter staff and then return to take home their new feline friend within days.
There will be a $100 adoption fee for each cat, which will go directly back to the shelters, Pierce said.
“We’re here for the cats, and we’re here to find them forever homes,” she said.
With only around eight people able to visit the cat lounge per hour, Pierce advised customers to book their spots well ahead of time.
While reservations to visit the cafe are not required, Pierce highly recommended booking ahead online for the day and time desired, especially for the first few weeks of operation after opening weekend, she said.
Reservations can be made on the cafe’s website at thecaffeinatedcatcafe.com.
Regular business hours began the day after the grand opening, with the cafe open from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and closed on Tuesdays.
A long road for the Cat Cafe
A life-long cat owner and lover, Pierce said finally opening the business has been a dream come true, and a long time coming.
“It’s very exciting,” she said. “Kind of surreal, too.”
She originally had the idea for a cat cafe in SLO County over a year ago, after having adopted many of her own cats and visiting similar businesses around the country.
However, between trying to find a lease that would accommodate the cats and the health code complications created by putting animals in a dining establishment, locking down a location and securing permits from the county took longer than expected.
Luckily, this is not the first cafe of its kind.
Cat cafes originated in Taiwan in the late 1990s and soon gained popularity around the world, including in the United States. To help Pierce get the permits she needed, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department modeled how San Diego County manages its cat lounges, she said.
Pierce also sought support from her community to make her dream a reality.
In May, she raised $15,000 on Kickstarter to cover some of the initial costs of the cafe. Those who want to help can still do so by ordering needed items for the cafe from it’s Amazon wishlist.
“That’s the kind of stuff that just makes a huge difference,” Pierce said.
